Turkey saddle



Feb. 9, 1943. H.- L. ABRAMSON 2,310,825

TURKEY SADDLE Filed May 26; 19 42 INVENTOR.

HAkRY L.ARAM. SON

Patented Feb. 9, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in what may be termed turkey saddles but which is also variously designated as breeding jackets and breeding saddle aprons.

This invention relates to improvements in that general type of turkey saddles shown and described in patent to Kennedy 2,090,871, August 24, 1937.

Since the need for protective devices of this type have been quite fully explained in the prior art patents, further explanations will be restricted to that which appears necessary to a full understanding of the purposes of the present improvements. The general purpose served by invention of this type is quite fully explained in Patent 1,987,818, which points out quite clearly that the injury to the hen occurs when the tom turkey loses his grip on the bases of the hens wings. It is therefore of utmost importance that the saddles shall be provided with substantial and effective toeholds that will enable the torn to retain his grip.

I am aware that saddles have been provided with pleats and tapes extending longitudinally, and which are intended to serve as toeholds. Experience has shown that toeholds to be effective must be of such construction that they can be readily engaged by the tom and must have sufficient rigidity to resist the rather severe strains to which they are subjected. Pleats and/or tapes lie so close to the surface that they are difficult to engage and after they have been engaged they do not offer the necessary resistance but bend readily thereby causing the torn to lose his grip.

It is one of the principal objects of this invention to produce a turkey saddle with toeholds of such construction that they can readily be effec tively engaged and which will resist powerful forces without bending or changing their shapes so as to cause the tom to lose his grip.

Since turkey raisers desire the hens to lay fertile eggs, the saddles must be so constructed that they do not interfere with proper breeding. When the saddle extends rearwardly beyond the point where the tail feathers are attached to the body proper breeding is not only interfered with,

but almost entirely prevented.

Saddles, in order to give the maximum protection, must cover the back and sides of the hen from the wing bases to the tail feather attachment; this is true more particularly with the sides and to effect the necessary freedom for breeding applicant has provided the rear ends of the saddie with a notch or forwardly concave part that allows freedom of movement of the hens tail feathers.

Having thus pointed out the objects of the invention, it Will now be described in detail, and for this purpose reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in whichthe invention has been illustrated, and in which:

Figure 1 is a view showing the saddle in place on a hen;

Figure 2 is a top plan view showing the saddle spread out flat;

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 33, Figure 2 and shows the construction of the toeholds; and

Figures 4 and 5 show the two steps in the construction of the toeholds.

The device is constructed from a single piece of heavy. canvas and when completed has the shape shown in Figure 2. There is a central part A that tapers forwardly. The side boundaries of the central area A are formed by the toeholds 6. Extending beyond the toeholds are sides B. The front end I of the center section A is slightly rearwardly concave and the rear end of section A has a forwardly concave portion 8 that fits about the base of. the tail and provides room for the tail to be raised when occasion requires. It will be observed that the concave edge does not extend the entire distance between the toeholds, but terminates at points 9 from which the edges commence to curve forwardly as indicated by numeral It. The curved edges Ill terminate at ii from which rearwardly concave edges l2 extend to points l3 at the forward ends of section A. The edges are bound by a strong tape l4. Bands l5 have their ends connected at points H and i3 and with the concave edges l2 form openings for the bases of the hens wings.

This invention is directed more particularly to the construction of the toeholds 6 which will now be described. The material is folded along a line corresponding to 6 in Figure 2 and a heavy cord I5 is positioned in the fold after which the two sides are connected by a stitching ll whereupon the cord becomes entirely enclosed as shown in Figure 4. The side B is now bent reversely into the position shown in Figure 5 and the parts are then stitched along line I8. When the saddle is in place on a hen the toeholds have the appearance shown in Figure 3.

The cord 16 produces a ridge that stands out a considerable distance from the surface of section A and makes it easy for the tom to obtain a grip. It will be observed from Figures 3 and 5 that there is an inwardly tapering groove extending along the upper surface of the toeholds 6 and that the ridge is kept from turning by seam l8. The thickness of the toeholds 6 and the fact that they are held from turning about seam I! by the seam [8 makes them easy to grip and prevents the grip from being lost.

Particular attention is directed to the toehold construction described as that constitutes the main feature of novelty.

When the saddle is in position as shown in Figure 1, the concave edge 8 is quite close to the base of the tail but sufiiciently forward thereof to permit the tail to be raised and the saddle will therefore not interfere with proper breeding.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. A turkey saddle having its body portion formed of a single piece of flexible fabric and having a central back panel and depending side aprons when the saddle is in position on a hen, separated by toeholds formed by an elongated tubular pocket enclosing a fabric cord, the tubular pocket being positioned with its outer surface in contact with the central back panel and secured thereto by stitching extending through the pocket and the enclosed cord.

2. A turkey saddle having its body portion formed from a single piece of flexible fabric and having a central back panel and depending side aprons when the saddle is in position on a hen, the back panel and side aprons being separated by toeholds formed by folding the material and stitching it to provide a tubular pocket, a cord enclosed in the pocket, the pocket being positioned with one side in contact with the center panel and a row of stitches extending through the pocket, the cord and the material of the back panel.

3. The method of forming toeholds on a flexible fabric turkey saddle in spaced positions and symmetrically located with respect to the longitudinal center of the saddle, which consists in folding the material along the proposed lines of the toe- .holds, with the underside of the material adjacent each other, positioning a cord in the fold, stitching the two adjacent sides to form a tubular pocket enclosing the cord, bending the tubular pockets about the seam, towards the center line, and attaching the pocket with its enclosed cord by stitching to the material forming the center panel whereby ridgelike toeholds are formed.

HARRY L. ABRAMSON. 

